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The Netherlands - People

The US government estimates the population at 16.9 million (July 2015 estimate). The Netherlands is a very densely populated country that sees itself somewhere between a city-state and a country, with almost half living in the Randstad, or core, region bounded by Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. The labor market is slowly recovering from the 2008 financial crisis. Unemployment is decreasing, while the amount of jobs and job offerings is increasing. The average income of Dutch households is €33,400. The average level of education of the Dutch population is increasing.

In a 2014 Statistics Netherlands survey, 48 percent of the population declared no church affiliation, 25 percent self-identified as Roman Catholic, 16 percent as Protestant, 5 percent as Muslim, and 6 percent as “other,” including Hindu, Jewish, and Buddhist. The Dutch are primarily of Germanic stock with some Gallo-Celtic mixture. Their small homeland frequently has been threatened with destruction by the North Sea and has often been invaded by the great European powers. The Dutch people can best be described as a “live and let live” people. They are most accepting of individualism and will not interfere with you if you do not interfere with them. But they feel a sort of moral superiority toward other peoples and cannot resist telling that something in your home-country should be different.

The Netherlands remains in a respectable seventh place in the 2016 World Happiness Report. While the Dutch did not move up or down the global happiness list compared to last year, in both 2012 and 2013 they placed slightly higher on the list with fourth place. The World Happiness Report is a survey of the state of global happiness issued by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The 2016 edition was released in the run-up to the annual UN World Happiness Day that falls on March 20.

The Dutch were not militarily inclined. The typical Dutchman was much more interested in cultural than in military activities. The Netherlands remained a strong proponent of international law and hosted several related conferences. Neutrality was a natural policy for a people among the most pacific in Europe. The nation had fought in the past, but only after extreme provocation - and long ago. The typical Dutchman was averse to soldiering, and the citizenry often displayed contempt at the sight of a soldier in uniform.

The Dutch were neat and proper, and the flaws in the national character were petty-bourgeois stinginess and rudeness. Dutch history testified to civic freedom and civic virtues, to lack of military spirit and a paramount spirit of commerce. The considerations of soil, climate, and fertility, may be nearly overlooked among the causes which form the character of the Dutch; for the most northern and indigent nation is not a prey to so much anxiety as they are; and the Laplander may enjoy the little he possesses with more assurance than the Hollander.

The character of the Dutch people may be largely explained by their history, the conformation of the country, their means of subsistence, their strife with the sea, and their struggles to maintain their independence against Spain and against hostile neighbors. The love of freedom and independence is the leading element in their character; the peculiarity of their soil has constrained them to be industrious and economical; their contest against the sea, their wars, and their distant expeditions, have trained them to bravery and self-possession; and their liberality has been stimulated by the disasters which, falling upon one to-day, might be the lot of any other to-morrow. Of course the virtues of the Dutch are apt to be distorted to vices: their composure not seldom becomes indifference; their tendency to reflexion makes them laggard in action, and deficient in enterprise; their love of liberty degenerates into an extravagant sense of independence that is more concerned about rights than about duties. Sociability is by no means a dominant characteristic of the Dutch; they speak little and laugh less. Bnt their appearance and expression give a poor indication of their sterling qualities. Their general sincerity and uprightness are evident to everyone whose own respectability gains them admission, on terms of familiar intercourse, to the respectable circles of Dutch society.

The labor and attention which must be employed to keep out the inroads of the waters, have given them greater industry and patience than others; and, as their own efforts only can impede destruction, they are phlegmatic in waiting for the danger which impends. Valor is nowhere so obstinate as in their own territory; and why should they not be obstinate in defending against the swords of man the soil which they every day protects against an enemy who, when chafed by tempests, is the most implacable with which human industry can cope? Their sensibility is dull — anger lasting — generosity calculated — public spirit greater than that of luxurious nations; and the first of their virtues is charity toward the needy of theirown country. With these qualities, it is to be expected that religious persecutions should be severe — that resistance against oppression should be inveterate — that republicanism should be the leading feature of the government; but that more attention should be paid to partial circumstances than to the general principles of freedom.

There are many sub cultures in the Netherlands. Most of it is based on geographic location. Almost everyone speaks English, and quite good English as well. Deadlines, keeping work and home separate, non-hierarchic and non-personal are words that describe Dutch organizations. Organizations are bureaucratic and non-flexible. Everything is formal, have to discuss over and over and need a paper formality. There are differences between ” we culture” and “I culture” - in “we culture” you are supposed to help people around you and in “I culture” you have to be more independent. Dutch people do not like to show that they are richer than others. From clothing you often cannot see who is rich or poor. Dutch try not to be different than others. If somebody in The Netherlands for example wants to be the best, reaching the top in society, they never say it in public. It is something they feel ashamed of.

For a nation which often insists on “normal” behaviour and the following of rules, King’s Day is truly nothing of the sort. It’s one day of the year where the Dutch break all their self-imposed rules and let loose in a way that puts all other nations to shame. To say that King’s Day is the world’s greatest party is nothing short of an understatement. For a nation often divided, King’s Day is the great equalizer. Unlike other countries’ national day’s, April 27th is not about in-your-face patriotism or royal worshiping, it’s about oneness.

The Dutch do not like company to stop by informally, if they just happen to be “in the neighborhood”. If you know someone very well, you can call in the morning to ask if you can come by that evening, but normally you should call further ‘in advance’. The worst thing you can do is stop by, uninvited, at dinnertime. If you get invited to enter the house while the family is eating, most likely they offer you a chair to sit with them at the table but they won’t offer you anything to eat. If you get lucky you may be offered some dessert.

Some day Dutch people are bored. They are not enthusiastic, everything is planned and even arranged appointments with friends and family. Even their parties are quiet and it look likes the conversations are planned too. Their whole life is based on Calvinism and they are proud of it!

The Dutch have learned to be adaptable and progressive, living as they do among much larger West European nations. Secondary schools give instruction in at least two foreign languages. Knowledge of English, in particular, is widespread among the population, even among those who did not learn it at school. In summary, the Dutch are very aware of their surroundings and have a keen interest in what goes on in the world. This imbues them with a deep-seated entrepreneurial and adventuresome spirit, making them quite adept at holding their own in the competitive international environment.

The laws of the kingdom’s constituent territories prohibit racial, national, or ethnic discrimination. In the Netherlands members of minority groups, particularly immigrants and Muslims, experienced verbal abuse and intimidation and were at times denied access to public venues such as discotheques. In the Caribbean regions, some instances of discrimination occurred. In the Netherlands the Muslim community of approximately 900,000 persons faced frequent discrimination, intolerance, and racism, as did members of other minority/immigrant groups, particularly in public venues and with regard to housing and employment. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the minority unemployment rate during the year was approximately two times that of the native Dutch workforce, while the unemployment rate among minority youths was almost three times as high as among native Dutch youth.

The Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP) reported the existence of “ethnic discomfort” and “tension among population groups.” At the same time, it noted there was growing awareness and visibility of discrimination and exclusion on racial and ethnic grounds. The SCP also reported that up to half of individuals belonging to an ethnic minority said they had experienced discrimination in a public venue, employment, contacts with official institutions, or education. Muslims often linked the discrimination they experienced to their religion. Racial discomfort was symbolized by the continued debate over “Black Pete,” the black-faced helper in the popular St. Nicholas tradition. For example, CERD noted that the features of the Black Pete character “reflect negative stereotypes that are experienced by many people of African descent as a vestige of slavery.” Prime Minister Rutte responded that it was not up to the government to change the Black Pete tradition but conceded that it had become “a symbol of discrimination.” Deputy Prime Minister Asscher observed that many black citizens viewed Black Pete as a symbol of common prejudice and racism in Dutch society.

The Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) and Statistics Netherlands are dropping the Dutch terms "autochtoon" and "allochtoon", the Volkskrant reports. According to the two institutions, the words aren't accurate enough anymore and are stigatizing. The word autochtoon refers to a Netherlands resident whose parents are both Dutch. Allochtoon refers to a Netherlands resident who has at least one non-Dutch parent. The terms were first used by the WRR in a 1989 report called Immigration Policy. The institute dropped the terms in a report November 1, 2016 titled "Migration and classifcation: towards a multi migration idiom". According to NOS, the report in itself is not yet advice for the government. But it does determine the tone in which the words are regarded and is a prelude to a more comprehensive report that is to be released next year. The two institutions will not replace the terms with alternatives. Instead people will be referred to as "people with a migration background" and "people with a Dutch background."

Emancipation and democratization movements have stressed the rights of individuals as opposed to those of the authorities. Police discretion and police behavior with respect to suspects, juveniles, and even victims is increasingly scrutinized and critized. Finally, it should be noted that even the Netherlands have their problem of ethnic minorities. Aside from some 200,000 foreigners, mostly migrant workers from the mediterranean countries, the country houses sizable groups of colored people from its former colonies. All these changes have made police performance more difficult.

The police behave very politely and non aggressively with women and foreigners. To young people - which includes a certain amount of children - they often behave in a more moralizing and authoritarian manner. With respect to long haired, colored and untidy persons, more belittling and authoritarian behavior is recorded. Moreover, colored people are treated in a more unkind and moralizing way. Our results suggest that racial prejudice shows in the behavior of police officers. Long haired, coloured and "untidy" persons tend to behave towards the police in a more impolite, indifferent, hostile and aggressive manner than short haired, white and tidy persons.

By 2001 Holland was falling behind many of its European neighbors for life expectancy, and smoking seems to be the reason, says a study of mortality by the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The trend was particularly striking among Dutch women, who also have one of the highest rates of smoking in Europe. In 1970, the average life expectancy of Dutch women was 76, the third highest in Europe, with only Swedish and Norwegian women living longer. But by 1997 their position had fallen, relative to other countries, to below the average in the European Union, just over 80. Women in France and Spain had overtaken their Dutch counterparts, with life expectancies of 83 and 82 respectively. The Netherlands seems to be following a trend set by Denmark, which also has high rates of smoking among women. One recent study (Lancet 2000;357:871-2) suggested that the Danish increase could be associated with the accession to the Danish throne of Queen Margarethe II, a popular monarch, who was known to enjoy smoking cigarettes.

The age structure of the Dutch population reveals a relatively large group in their forties to sixties. This group will put additional pressure on the Dutch health care system, needing a relatively substantial number of people to look after them when they become aged. Migraine was the most common chronic disease in the Netherlands from 2001 to 2008. Over 12% of the population suffered from it. Almost 8% of the Dutch population suffered from COPD, 3,5% from diabetes and almost 2% experienced severe heart diseases. A recent publication based on research in primary care shows that 37% of people aged 55 or older have two or more chronic diseases.6 70% of chronic patients older than 55 years have at least one other chronic disease. Heart failure is the disease with the highest rate of co-morbidity, namely 92%! Diabetes and COPD are common comorbidity disease in case of people with cancer (26% and 18% respectively). COPD and diabetes have a prevalence of 2.1%, COPD with heart failure 1.9% and diabetes with heart failure 2.2%.